In U.S., 100 Million Used Video Games Are Now Sold Annually

Retailers like *Best Buy* and *Amazon* know that GameStop is raking in roughly $2 billion a year from used games sales, which is why they want in on the market. Now new stats from Wedbush Morgan quantify how many units that actually breaks down to: 100 million games, or a third of all games sold in the U.S. every year. And while the volume may seem impressive, the report disputes game publishers’ claims that trade-ins cannibalize new game sales (per GamesIndustry.biz) — finding that used game sales only impact about five percent of the new games market.

Most people only trade in their games after they’ve finished playing — which is typically well over two months after the official release, according to Wedbush Morgan managing partner and analyst Michael Pachter. That’s “well beyond the window for a full retail priced new game sale,” he wrote in the report. Pachter added that trade-ins could actually boost new game sales, since they serve as an alternative currency for players with limited disposable income (typically teens and younger kids).